Dancer on the Corner
by YuYuFanatic14
Summary: AU. Mitarai is a shy club dancer who feels hopeless about his situation. When he is shown kindness by an outsider, he starts to wonder if there is hope after all. eventual HagirixMitarai.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I realize this is so insanely short it doesn't deserve to be posted, but it was just an idea that randomly came to me a few weeks ago while listening to a song, and I wanted to see if anyone would be interested in reading this if it became an actual story. If it gets good input, I probably will update soon, as I have quite a few ideas.

Disclaimer and warning: YYH is not mine. There will be homosexuality in this story. Don't like, don't read.

* * *

It was a cool summer night. Kuwabara and Yusuke were walking around town, just as they did every night.

However, tonight they had decided to stray from their usual route, as Yusuke had felt like checking out a club, and of course Kuwabara wasn't going to argue with that.

As it came into view, faint hints of the music could be heard. Yusuke sped up, excited, dragging Kuwabara along behind him.

"Hey, look- they have a dancer out front," Kuwabara pointed out. "That's odd."

As they got closer, they realized it was a young teenage boy with blonde hair, wearing black shorts and tank top. He wore no shoes, but had black bands around his ankles and wrists, and wore a blue collar around his neck.

"He's cute," Yusuke remarked. "Not a half bad dancer, either." Kuwabara didn't respond to the remarks, but inwardly agreed with both.

Once they were a few yards away from the entrance, the song ended, as did the dancing. Now that he wasn't moving, they noticed a chain dangling from one of his wrists tethering him to a pole just inside the entrance.

Deep blue eyes opened slightly, looking down at the ground. Then, as if he could sense their presence, he glanced up at the older boys.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked, just loud enough to be heard. "It's free tonight."

Yusuke nodded and led Kuwabara towards the entrance. The redhead looked back at the younger boy, and their eyes met. In that one instant, Kuwabara saw a deep, restrained sadness that made his skin tingle. He quickly blinked and looked away, but knew those eyes would haunt him for quite a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, a bit longer than the last one- hope you like. I'm starting to get intruiged by the plot myself- I had no idea where this was going with the first chapter, to be brutally honest. But now I think I have an idea, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

I know that it some parts it may be annoying, what with not putting names, but I have reasons. Bear with me.

YYH is not mine. There is homosexuality in this- don't like, don't read. Review if you wish.

* * *

As they entered the club, Yusuke took them directly to the bar so they could scope the place out.

They had a very large dance floor, Kuwabara noticed. And the music was good. For being in here all of two minutes, it seemed fairly pleasant.

Though, he was confused by one thing. All the people in here seemed to be older teens or young twenties. Why was the dancer boy here so young? He looked like he should be in middle school.

He tried to ignore the thoughts, getting himself a drink. He didn't talk to Yusuke- the other male had had a bad day and was already on his second drink. Kuwabara was a little surprised that the bartender hadn't asked for IDs, especially since they hadn't been here before. Well… he couldn't speak for Yusuke- he went everywhere. Maybe he had gotten in with a fake ID. Neither of them were twenty one yet. But they didn't look that young…

His (admittedly pointless) train of thought was broken when he saw the dancer boy entering the club, the chain no longer on his wrist. What was he up to? Kuwabara watched as the boy headed towards the edge of the dance floor.

...

He stood there for a moment, watching the crowd wistfully. He wished he could have somebody else to dance with like they all did.

He turned, ready to quit for the night, when he felt an arm wrap around his waist. His cheeks turned red at the sensation, and he quickly willed the blush to go away, reminding himself that he was used to this. It shouldn't bother him.

"Hey, pretty," the (obviously drunk) man behind him slurred, "where're you goin'? Night's not over yet."

The boy whirled around, breaking himself free of the man's grip.

"I'm over," he said, trying to contain his anger. "Shift's over for tonight. Come back tomorrow."

"Now, now, you can't do that. You're here, I want you, you stay." He grinned, impressed with his own logic. "You still got your collar on, even. You ain't off shift yet."

The boy recoiled as a hand traced around the collar on his neck and, as he was distracted, the man's other hand grabbed him _there._

His cheeks burned in embarrassment and he angrily tried to pull away, to no avail.

...

Kuwabara frowned. "Hey, Urameshi, the kid's in trouble."

Yusuke glanced up at him for a moment before going back to his drink. "What kid?"

"You know, the one that was at the door."

"Why do you care about him? He's just a kid."

Kuwabara didn't respond to that, and continued to watch the boy. Should he help? Did the kid know what he was doing, or did he actually need help?

He shook his head. He had to help, whether the kid wanted him to or not. He didn't want to watch that.

...

"Hey. Leave him alone."

The boy looked over his shoulder, confused, and saw an older teen with red hair coming towards them. The man backed off a few steps, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, so _you _want him, too? He said he's done for the night, but we'll see…" he shoved the boy forward into the redhead, then laughed and took his leave.

The boy glared up at the other teen. "I could have handled him myself, I didn't need your help."

"That's not what I saw."

He growled and backed away a few paces. "What do you want? I'm not selling tonight."

The older boy frowned. "I never said I wanted to-"

"Just leave me alone." The boy ran to the changing room door behind the dance floor, trying to forget about what had just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

(author notes are a tad long- bear with me.)

Finally, a longer chapter! This story is going in a completely different direction than I had intended... oh well. I'm liking writing it, so that's what matters.

Introducting some new characters.. which leads me to an important point. I've decided this story is (obviously) AU. At the moment, I'm thinking that it's the same as in Yusuke's Spirit Detective with Kuwabara helping him, but AU in all other respects, like they never met up with Kurama or Hiei, Dark Tournament and Sensui arcs never happened, etc. Please bear with me in this story- I'm still kinda figuring out the background of everything. But I'm getting there. I hope you guys like this chapter. Review if you wish.

Disclaimer/warning: YYH is not mine. There is homosexuality and implied inappropriate things. Don't like, don't read.

* * *

His composure that he worked so hard on was shattered in seconds. So unfair. He should be _used to_ the stupid things that happened by now! One touch and he got so riled up, some random teen felt like he had to come in to break it up!

_Stop. It's not worth getting upset about._

He took a deep breath then slowly let it out, and opened his locker. It wasn't a big deal. At all.

He changed out of the tight black clothes into a loose pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

As he closed the locker, the door to the changing room opened again and he glanced up to see who it was.

A black haired boy with pink eyes entered. He had on more revealing clothes than anyone else in the club, most likely. But he _was_ one of the best dancers, so he should look good.

"Hey, Mitarai," the other boy said quietly. "I saw what happened."

Mitarai winced. "Yeah. Not my best moment." There was a pause. "Hagiri, your shift doesn't end for another half an hour. You shouldn't be in here."

"Just wanted to see if you were okay. Don't worry about it- the bosses aren't here tonight."

"I know…"

Hagiri smirked. "And I wouldn't get in trouble anyway. I'm senior dancer."

Mitarai glanced at the silver collar adorning his friend's neck, and briefly thought of his own blue one. He shook his head and sighed.

"I'll be okay, Hagiri. I'm going to bed now."

The other boy turned to go before mentioning one more thing.

"Remember we work together tomorrow… inside. Boss wants to see if you deserve getting the promotion."

Mitarai nodded, outwardly staying calm, while inside he was anything but.

Hagiri turned to face him, a rare smile on his face.

"I know you're scared. Just relax. It gets to be real fun when you're up where I'm at. Trust me." And with that he left.

Mitarai watched the spot where he had been standing for a minute before shoving his hands in his pockets and going out through the back door of the room.

He went down the short hallway quietly until he came to his door and entered, locking it. Free until the next morning.

He replaced the sweatshirt with a t-shirt and lay on his bed, mulling over what had happened.

There was something odd about that red headed teen. Why had he cared? People never did. Maybe he just didn't understand the concept of club dancers. You used them, you didn't care about them.

He shook the thoughts from his head and soon fell asleep.

...

Kuwabara had gone back to sit next to Yusuke, thinking about the dancer boy. He felt a sort of guilt now over interfering. It really wasn't any of his business what the kid did.

But then again, it didn't feel right, letting that happen. It wasn't right for kids to sell themselves at clubs.

He had to come back the next day. He had to see that kid again.

...

Mitarai woke early the next morning. He wanted enough time to get ready before the other dancers got up.

He took a quick shower and paid careful attention to his hair. It irritated him, being curly, but it didn't look too bad if he styled it right.

As he was getting dressed, he heard movement outside the bathroom door. He frowned. Who got up this early?

The door opened- of course. Hagiri. Mitarai looked away and pulled on the sleeveless black shirt he was going to wear that day.

"Morning," Hagiri said quietly, coming up beside him. "You're not usually up this early."

"Wanted to get ready," Mitarai replied, drying his collar off from the shower.

"For your special day." Hagiri opened a drawer under the counter and rummaged through it for a minute before taking out a pencil.

"If you want to look good, use some of this. I think it'd look good on you."

Mitarai eyed the pencil hesitantly. "Eyeliner? That's for girls."

Hagiri laughed. "So? I use it all the time. Here, let me put some on you."

It was a bit uncomfortable to put on, but he had to admit it looked nice when he inspected it in the mirror.

"How do I look?" he asked uncertainly. The older boy studied him for a minute before nodding decidedly.

"You look pretty cute to me," he remarked. Mitarai looked back at the mirror.

"That's good, I guess."

Hagiri made another one of those rare smiles and started to apply his own eyeliner.

"Why are you doing that now? Shouldn't you take your shower first?"

A low chuckle. "I took it last night. Got bought."

Mitarai felt a tremor go through his stomach, just like it did every time that was mentioned. He shouldn't be disgusted by it- it was all around him here… but he hated it. He _rarely _let anyone buy him for that. It made him less popular with the bosses and the other dancers, but he wouldn't do it.

Hagiri noticed his discomfort. "Sorry, Mitarai. I know you hate it." He paused, putting the pencil back in the drawer.

"You do realize that… if you do get the promotion today… you'll have to start selling yourself for that. Bosses won't let you get it otherwise."

Mitarai bit his lip, feeling a little sick. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted the promotion now.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked up, meeting Hagiri's gaze. No words were said- none were needed. They knew each other well enough.

The doorknob started to turn, and they moved apart from each other. The seniors and juniors didn't usually interact, and they didn't want to disrupt the normal flow of things.

The next boy who entered was the youngest dancer in the place. Hagiri feigned indifference and started to polish his collar.

"Hey, Amanuma," Mitarai greeted the younger boy quietly. "You're up early."

"I heard talking," the twelve year old said. "And I didn't feel like going back to sleep."

Amanuma was relatively new. He had been taken him in off the street, just like the majority of the others. He wasn't sold for anything inappropriate, but he danced to entertain the young ladies. His special status was evidenced by the bright green collar around his neck.

"I just needed to ask Hagiri about something," Mitarai said. "We're working together today."

Amanuma accepted that and headed off to shower. Mitarai smiled slightly and glanced at the clock on the wall. 6:45. The others would be getting up soon.

"I remember when I was at his stage," Hagiri murmured, a look of almost nostalgia on his face. "Things were fun back then."

Mitarai nodded. He hadn't been in that stage long himself- he was almost thirteen when he had been taken in, and that was the age where you usually got promoted to the stage he was at now. Dancing out front most days and while you were off shift, servicing customers inside. He was grateful to the other boys in his level for taking some of his inside shifts. He preferred dancing outside, even when it was cold, to interacting with the outsiders.

Hagiri nudged him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Maybe we should go out now?" he suggested quietly. "It'll get crowded soon, and you know I hate crowded bathrooms."

Mitarai smiled slightly and nodded. "Sure." The two left the room, heading off to the small kitchen to get breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry about the lateness and shortness.. things are kind of busy right now and I'm not getting a lot of time to write. I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner.

Hope you like this one. Review if you wish.

* * *

Kuwabara got up that morning, determined to learn more about the dancer boy. He didn't know why the boy was so important to him… maybe he was just curious. He wouldn't wait until night to go this time.

...

Mitarai and Hagiri sat in the corner of the kitchen after they had gotten their breakfast. They didn't do it everyday, since they usually got up at different times, but they sat together enough to make some of the other boys think there was something going on between them. Mitarai thought it was silly to think that, and so said nothing about it. Neither did the older boy.

"So," Mitarai started after a minute of silence, "how is today going to go?"

"Well, you probably won't be working the door today. The other guys'll take your shifts, so don't worry. They should be taking half those shifts anyhow."

Mitarai blushed lightly. "Do I just follow you around, then?"

Hagiri shook his head. "Not exactly. We'll both be up at the head of the dance floor, but you dance by yourself. A little later on we'll go into the crowd and see if someone wants to buy you." He paused as Mitarai shuddered slightly. "Yeah, I know. It sucks. But we can't help it. If you get a taker quickly, you're more likely to get the promotion. then we'd get to see each other more often." A small almost-smile graced his lips before he quickly took a sip of his juice.

Mitarai shrugged. "True… but it's weird, thinking that later today, I could be…" he broke off. "Why can't they ask one of the others?"

"They're not as good as you," Hagiri said softly, leaning forward. "And… I recommended you."

Mitarai's eyes widened in disbelief. "You what? If I get picked, I'll have to do it for longer! You were just chosen a few months ago!"

"Because I slapped the first guy who came on to me. I could have gotten the promotion sooner. Mitarai… I learned to accept what I got, and I don't mind anymore. Maybe you won't either, eventually." He smirked. "I won't be mad if you don't make it, but don't do it out of spite, okay?"

The blonde teen looked away. "Okay… take care of me?"

A real smile. "Of course."

...

Now it was business. No more smiles- no real ones, anyway, no second chances… you just had to go out, do your job, and do it well.

The post-breakfast crowd was small, and not really interested in anything except being tastefully entertained. That meant no sex… yet.

As the rest of the boys, some more awake than others, trooped into the changing room, Mitarai felt his stomach clench and started to wish he hadn't eaten breakfast. A quick glance towards the other end of the room showed him Hagiri and his reassuring smirk. That calmed him down enough to take a deep breath and open his locker. No revealing clothes yet. Normal ones.

His morning clothes consisted of a blue shirt that matched his eyes, and a pair of almost-pants of a darker blue. The shirt sleeves were loose and disconnected at the shoulders, but were long enough to hook around his thumbs. The actual body of it pulled tight across his torso. He glanced at the leather ankle and wrist bands, but decided to forego them until the evening. The morning crowd didn't seem to appreciate them as much.

He closed his locker, done, and looked over at Hagiri. The older boy was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with long sleeves disconnected from the actual shirt, and black shorts. He looked a little girly, but it looked good.

The bell ringing broke Mitarai from his thoughts. The day had begun. Hagiri looked towards him and their gazes met for a moment before the older boy smirked slightly and left the room. Mitarai quickly followed, schooling his features into a blank expression. He couldn't show he was nervous. That would be bad.

But something kept nagging him that the day would not go well at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I know this is a short chapter, but it had been SO long since last update, I felt I HAD to put something up. Writer's block has been miserable, but I think I'm finally getting out of it. Yes, I'm also trying to work on Murky Waters still, but all the writing that came was for this when I sat at the computer, so... we'll see what gets updated next. I hope you guys like this chapter.

* * *

The day started out easy, Mitarai had to admit. All he had to do was dance, and he knew how to do that. There were a few whistles, directed at both him and Hagiri, but he was used to those as well.

A glance towards the clock told him he had about ten more minutes of this before the next stage began. He was honestly worried about it- not because he doubted his ability, but because he doubted his emotional stability. Usually he didn't think twice about it, and was able to distance himself enough to not get too bothered while at work, but after the night before… That was definitely not a good sign.

...

Ten minutes went by quickly, and the bell ringing for the five minute break was welcomed by all. Customers went to the bar to perhaps get something to eat while they waited. A few people left, having no interest in the events that would soon be happening.

No showers necessary yet. Just a quick change of clothes. The next break would be longer, as would be the others after that.

Mitarai put the black sleeveless shirt back on that he would wear for the rest of the day, and looked over at Hagiri. The older boy kept his shorts, but removed the sleeves from his arms. After the dinner break, he would change into his customary outfit of even shorter shorts and a top that barely covered anything.

The older teen beckoned to Mitarai and the two left the room, heading to the dance floor. That would be where they would stay for most of their time. Seeing the boys start to filter out of the back room, a couple in the crowd came back to the floor.

As more people started to come onto the floor, Mitarai felt dread start to fill his stomach. He took a deep breath and swallowed, trying to calm himself. He told himself that if he got too upset, he'd start to sweat, and that wasn't attractive.

Suddenly extremely grateful for the air conditioning, he continued to follow Hagiri around the dance floor until the older teen stopped and turned to face him.

"It won't do you any good to look like a lost puppy," he said quietly. "Relax and dance."

Mitarai _wanted_ to state that was far easier said than done, but knew it was probably better to just listen to what he was told. However, as he was dancing, it occurred to him- he didn't want to get the promotion anyway. Why was he even trying?

He shook his head. He couldn't let Hagiri down. He had promised he wouldn't throw it for spite. So he had to try his best. But… now everything felt hopeless, like he wasn't even in control of his own future anymore. Well, he hadn't been before, but-

"Mitarai, maybe we should move."

He glanced up at his friend confusedly. "Why?"

"The guy from yesterday is back."

The blonde's eyes widened. "Where?"

Subtly, as though it was part of the dance, Hagiri pointed. Mitarai could see the tall redhead standing near the entrance, seeming as if he was looking for someone. He lowered his head, unnecessarily, and moved back behind Hagiri.

"Don't worry about him," Hagiri almost whispered. "Just go near the back so he can't see you."

For a few seconds, Mitarai was confused as to why his friend was talking so quietly, then followed his gaze and realized someone was coming over to them. Then there was some unspoken communication through gazes that he couldn't understand, and Hagiri stood still.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'll be back in a bit. Just dance like normal, and good luck."

And then he was gone into the crowd, and Mitarai couldn't see him or the person he was going to. He stopped dancing for a few moments, internally debating whether it was worth continuing.

…He had to. For Hagiri. He just didn't want to get bought.


	6. Chapter 6

I haven't updated this in two weeks... I'm so sorry. School's over, so I'll probably get more writing done. Of course, after this update I'll be looking back at Murky Waters... really need to finish that one... we'll see. I hope you guys like this chapter, even though it's not really that long.

* * *

Kuwabara had been at the club for a while and he still hadn't seen the blonde boy. He still wasn't quite sure why he mattered so much… but he really wanted to talk to the boy and understand what was going on.

He glanced over the dance floor again, not really expecting to see anything, when a hint of blonde caught his eye.

Kuwabara quickly started to walk towards it, after making sure it wasn't a girl.

…He didn't look very happy, Kuwabara thought once he got closer. Maybe he should see what was wrong.

Mitarai was pulled out of his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder. He looked up quickly, heart beating faster, then realized it was the redhead.

"Nice to see you again," he said flatly, trying to calm himself. "D'you want anything this time?"

The older boy shook his head. "No, not really. Well- wanted to talk to you, actually."

Mitarai blinked, confused. "But… I can't- I'm at work-"

"Then how would I get to talk to you?"

Mitarai continued to stare at him in disbelief for a few moments before sighing in defeat.

"C'mon, let's go to my room."

He glanced around nervously as he led the older boy to his room. He knew what people who saw him would assume. What he didn't know was if that was a good thing for them to assume.

As the younger boy led him back behind the dance floor, Kuwabara was actually feeling nervous. He didn't think this was _dangerous _or anything, but he had no idea of what to expect.

When they entered the room, Mitarai closed the door and turned to face the older boy. Now that they were alone, his calmness was harder to keep up.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" he asked, trying to sound angry, though it came out as confused. "I'm a _club dancer._ What could you want from me besides entertainment?"

Kuwabara frowned. "You're really stuck in this life, aren't you? How long have you been here?"

"…A little less than two years," Mitarai replied hesitantly. He was so confused. Why did this matter? Doing what he was _supposed _to be doing would be _much_ easier than this! Where was Hagiri? He could make the older boy go away…

"Whoa, calm down." The redhead looked concerned. "What's making you so scared?"

"This- it's not how things are supposed to go!" Mitarai exclaimed, barely calm. "You're not supposed to be nice and talk to me- that's not how it goes with Hagiri…" he trailed off, taking a deep breath. _Relax._ What would Hagiri think if he saw him getting upset over nothing? He had to stay calm.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," the older boy said. "I just wanna understand what's going on here- like, why're you here?"

"Because it's better than the alternative. All the boys here would be living on the streets unless we were taken in."

There was silence for a moment, then; "I think this is gonna get complicated. Can I at least know your name first?"

"…Mitarai. Yours?"

"Kazuma Kuwabara. Now can you explain to me why you would be on the street? Like, did you run away from home or something?"

Mitarai hesitantly nodded. "My parents fought a lot… and I wanted to get away from it. They found me, and I guess at the time, anything was better than that. A lot of the guys here ran away."

"That's kinda depressing. Do you like it here?"

Mitarai paused. Did he? He had Hagiri, and maybe Amanuma as friends, but that was about his only source of comfort. He didn't mind the dancing, and had gotten used to the stupid comments, but he hated his current situation. He looked up at the other boy, expression conflicted.

"I guess I don't want to be here, but I don't know what else to do…"

"You could leave," Kuwabara said gently.

Mitarai shook his head. "I can't without Hagiri, and he's too attached to this place. He's important here."

"Then what do you want to do? You _want _to stay here and sell yourself to people who you don't know?"

"Of course not! But I can't do anything else!"

Kuwabara stayed silent for a minute, thinking. "I have an idea. You can stay here, and you can _pretend _to do what you're supposed to do. I can come here every day, and be your regular or something."

Mitarai's eyes widened. "What if they find out? They'll notice if I'm only going in for one person, and not doing anything else."

"As long as you get money, do they care?"

Mitarai bit his lip, hesitating. The whole thing seemed like a real bad idea to him, but it didn't look like he had any other choice.

"I'll try it."


	7. Chapter 7

Wow, up earlier than I thought. I know the length is still kinda iffy, but now I have a system, and I know what's going to be in the next chapter already. Hopefully that'll help it get out sooner, and perhaps longer.

I hope you guys like this chapter. Review if you wish.

* * *

As the two left the room and headed to the dance floor, Mitarai felt nervous. He had agreed to cheat, basically. What if someone found out? They were bound to, eventually. And then what would happen to him? They could hurt him, force him to do what he was frightened of, even send him back out onto the streets.

He couldn't leave. Not without Hagiri. The very idea of it made him feel sick. They were so close, they couldn't possibly stay apart.

But Kuwabara didn't look worried… maybe things would be okay- of _course _he wasn't worried! If it all went wrong, it wasn't _his_ problem! _He _wouldn't get hurt!

Mitarai felt a burst of indignation, then the older boy smiled at him.

"See you tomorrow," he said quietly. "Stay safe." And then he was gone into the crowd.

Mitarai stood there, confused, for almost a whole minute before someone came up from behind him and wrapped their arms around him. He tensed-

"You did it!" It was Amanuma. Mitarai breathed a sigh of relief and turned around. The younger boy looked up, excited.

"Hagiri's gonna be so proud of you!" he exclaimed, practically bouncing. Mitarai couldn't help but smile.

"Where is he?"

"Right behind you. Congratulations."

Hagiri had on a not-quite smile, but his eyes were shining enough to let Mitarai know he was happy. While he smiled back, he was inwardly getting upset. His friends thought he had done what he was supposed to do, but he was just deceiving them.

...

Somehow, he managed to get through the rest of the day without having anyone else buy him. He had taken a shower at the next break, and tried to make it look like he knew what Hagiri was talking about afterwards. He still felt so worried that his friend would find out he hadn't really done his job.

That night at dinner, Mitarai only picked at his food. He was too nervous to be hungry. Hagiri and Amanuma, who he was sitting with, noticed.

"What's wrong?" Amanuma asked, looking concerned. "Shouldn't you be happy?"

"It's about the promotion," Hagiri said quietly. "Don't bother him."

The younger boy nodded and went back to his food. Mitarai met his friend's gaze and smiled slightly for a moment before looking back down. Hagiri watched him for a few more seconds before looking up at the back of the room.

"Mitarai, they're coming out now. You might not want to look so miserable."

Amanuma looked up, a smile coming to his face. Out of the three of them, he probably loved the bosses the most, and Shinobu Sensui the most of all.

"D'you think Mr. Sensui is going to be the one to give you it?" he asked excitedly. Hagiri rolled his eyes and quickly motioned for the younger boy to be quiet.

Sensui and his partner Itsuki slowly walked up to the front of the room, talking quietly with each other. As they made their way through the tables, Mitarai saw them send a glance his way, and shivered. They _were _nice, and he was grateful for them taking him in, but it still scared him the way they would look at him.

When they finally reached the front, the boys stopped talking at once, as they were supposed to do.

"We apologize for the others not being able to make it," Sensui started, "but for this, it doesn't need more than two of us. There are promotions to give out tonight."

There was a small round of applause, which quickly died out.

"There is one, for which we are most proud," he continued. "as he has shown great dedication to his work, and is willing to go beyond the boundaries of what he is comfortable with to go further. We are promoting Kiyoshi Mitarai to level three. Please come forward and trade in your collar."

The applause was louder this time, though mostly from the younger level ones, and a few level threes. (The ones in Mitarai's (now previous) level were only doing it to be polite, as they had been used to him taking most of their outdoor shifts, and were not looking forward to doing their own work again.)

Mitarai stood and keeping his face as calm as possible, walked to the front of the room. He bowed politely at the two bosses, and undid the fasten on his collar. He was almost sad to see it go; it had been with him for a long time, and he did like the color better.

He was handed the typical level three red collar, and quickly put it on. With the final _click_, he felt like his fate was sealed. He mustered a small smile for the two men, then turned and strode back to his seat as fast as was polite.

Once he had sat down again, Hagiri flashed him a quick real smile, one that even reached his eyes. Sensui started talking again, about the next boy who was to be promoted from level one; for having gotten older or something, Mitarai wasn't listening, and Hagiri leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"It looks good on you."

Mitarai couldn't help but smile and blush slightly. Hagiri leaned back, eyes still smiling a little, and started to pay attention to the ceremony again.

Now he could think. He still felt bad, knowing that he had only gotten promoted because of a lie. He couldn't take it back, now; that was unthinkable. He only hoped the plan he and Kuwabara had come up with would work; for the sake of himself, and Hagiri.


	8. Chapter 8

Hooray, up WAY sooner than expected! Locking yourself in your room for an hour really works! ...-ahem-... Anyway, I keep getting surprised- how I think the story's going to go changes almost every time I sit down.. but I think I've finally gotten it. I hope you guys like this one, and I'll get the next one out ASAP.

Don't own YYH. Review if you wish.

* * *

The next morning as they were getting ready for the day, Mitarai felt nervous. He wasn't sure how the whole thing with Kuwabara was going to work out. He didn't even think it _could._ The others would notice if he only went in for one person… and then Hagiri would be so disappointed…

Breakfast was a blur. He wasn't really paying attention, feeling slightly worried about his first full day in level three. He wondered what time Kuwabara would come for him. He quickly shook that thought away. He had to work under the assumption that he wouldn't come, just in case.

When the bell rang to begin the day, Mitarai followed Hagiri out to the dance floor, just like the day before. After a quick scan of the small crowd, Kuwabara was nowhere to be seen. That was okay. The first round of people didn't usually want anything, anyway. He only had to get there for round two or three.

Time went by excruciatingly slow. The first two shifts went by with no sign of him, and Mitarai was becoming more and more tense. He had long since abandoned Hagiri, not just because the older boy was bought more often, but because he didn't want him to know he wasn't going in. He knew Hagiri would want to be around him, but he'd rather their friendship stayed intact.

Finally, during the third shift, just as Mitarai was about to give up on seeing Kuwabara, the redhead entered the club. His face was a little red, and he looked breathless, as if he'd been running.

Mitarai made his way over to the other boy, staying as invisible as possible. When he got next to him, Mitarai tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump.

"Oh! Hey, Mitarai, how're you doing today?"

"I'm okay. What took you so long?"

"Had to stop off at work and ask them about changing my schedule a bit."

Mitarai's eyes widened. "You're missing work to come visit me?"

Kuwabara shrugged.

"But… you shouldn't miss that to come _here!_"

Kuwabara rolled his eyes. "I thought you _wanted_ me to come."

Mitarai was just about to respond when another man came up next to them.

"Kiyoshi, are you taking this young man in now?"

The blonde tensed and nodded. "Y-yes, Mr. Sensui."

"Good." Sensui gave him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and moved on. Mitarai quickly started to lead Kuwabara behind the dance floor.

"Hey, Mitarai, slow down- what's wrong?"

A quick glance told him to keep quiet and he'd explain later.

Once they had entered the room and the door had been locked, Mitarai calmed down slightly.

"I don't like Mr. Sensui very much," he said quietly. "Not many guys here do."

Kuwabara blinked. "Why? I mean, he seems a little creepy, but he took you all in, right?"

"…In a sense. There are more bosses besides him, but he and Mr. Itsuki started it. We are all grateful to him, but sometimes he wants to be the customer for us, and…" he hesitated. "Most of us are afraid of that happening."

Kuwabara frowned. "Do the others mind?"

Mitarai shook his head. "No, they do it too. Only the level ones are off limits. Hagiri's gotten chosen once- that's why he has that silver collar. They like him." he shivered. "And I think they'll come after me soon."

They talked for a little longer, until the bell rang for the next break. They stood.

"I want to let you know- I'm not gonna be able to come tomorrow," Kuwabara said as Mitarai was unlocking the door.

The blonde looked up at him in disbelief.

"Don't worry- I've asked a friend to come, and I'm pretty sure he will. His name's Yusuke- he's that guy who was with me that first night. He and I are gonna take turns doing this so I don't miss too much work. But I promise that one of us will be here everyday."

Mitarai nodded. "Okay… I trust you."

Kuwabara smiled slightly, then left the room. Mitarai left a minute later.

...

For a few days, the plan worked. Yusuke came when he was supposed to, and Mitarai could find ways to hide from people when he or Kuwabara had left.

Thursday night- Mitarai was getting ready for bed in his room when there was a knock on the door. He frowned. "Who is it?"

"It's Hagiri."

Mitarai quickly opened the door. "Hey. What's up?"

"I need to talk to you." He looked serious. Mitarai moved back from the door to let him in, and then the two sat on the bed. Hagiri looked down at the floor.

"I need to know… what are you _really _doing all day?"

Mitarai's eyes widened. "What?"

"I know you're not doing your job. You only go in for two people. Ever since you got promoted, you haven't been acting the same- you haven't been near me all week."

"Hagiri, I…" Mitarai looked away. "I was scared."

"So you lied? I was scared, too, and I had to do it. I do it at least three times _every day._ I don't think you ever have."

Mitarai felt his face grow warm in shame. "I'm sorry, Hagiri, but it's not like I can just go up now and tell Mr. Sensui I haven't been doing anything all week."

"I know, but…" Hagiri sighed. "I wish you would have told me."

He looked up, and Mitarai was surprised to see his usually calm face almost… upset.

"Hagiri…?" He never acted like this. This wasn't _that_ big a deal… was it?

The older boy shook his head and stood.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mitarai." And with that, he left.


	9. Chapter 9

This is a little bit shorter than I'd like, but I wanted to get in something before tomorrow- I'm going to my mom's house and I won't be able to update there. I'm hoping to write a lot in my notebook so when I get back here I can post a couple of chapters in one week.

About the chapter, it's not really explicit, but I suppose it should be rated mature. Sex is involved, and I supposed making Sensui a bit of a pervert doesn't help. -sigh-I hope you guys enjoy it, and I'll update as soon as I can.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Hagiri slipped Mitarai a note before going back to the table he had been at. The younger boy was mildly surprised- after the night before, he hadn't expected Hagiri to want to talk to him again.

As he read the note, a chill went down his spine, and he turned around to look at Hagiri incredulously. The other boy shrugged and went back to his breakfast.

Mitarai didn't understand how Hagiri couldn't be bothered by this. _Sensui _wanted them that morning. Mitarai had a guess of what he wanted, and pushed away his food, suddenly not hungry.

Amanuma looked at him, confused, but Mitarai shook his head, and the younger boy promptly went back to his meal.

...

"It's just an evaluation, Mitarai, calm down," Hagiri said as they were walking down the hallway to Sensui's room.

"That's what he's _saying_, but what if he _means_ something different?" Mitarai refused to be calmed down. "It's _Sensui_, Hagiri! What if-" He broke off as the older boy knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Sensui opened it and smiled.

"There you two are- come in."

As the door closed behind them, Mitarai couldn't help but feel more nervous.

"I hope you two don't mind that Itsuki is here," Sensui said, the friendly smile still on his face. The two boys shook their heads, knowing that even if they minded, it wouldn't have made a difference.

"I called you two here for an evaluation of your work," Sensui went on. "From what I've heard, you two are doing very well indeed. But I would like to see for myself." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Especially for you, Mitarai. I don't know you as well."

The blonde shivered and stole a glance at Hagiri. The older boy looked almost confused.

"But… what are we going to do?" he asked. Sensui's expression changed slightly.

"Show us what you do," he said simply. "When you take someone into your room, what do you do?"

While Mitarai's stomach clenched at that thought, he was surprised to see Hagiri's eyes widen in- fear?

"A-are you sure we can't do something else?" he asked, eyes pleading.

"What else could you possibly do?" Sensui replied.

Silence. He motioned to Itsuki to get off the bed and the two of them moved to the side of the room.

"With _each other?_" Hagiri asked. "Why not with you again?"

"Hagiri, I am telling you to do this, with him, now." Sensui's face had lost the friendliness. "Now do it."

The boy nodded and turned to Mitarai. "I guess we have to." He removed his top slowly and moved to take off the other. Mitarai let him, and their eyes met. There was a deep sadness and longing in his friend's gaze, and he murmured a hushed "I'm sorry," before quickly kissing him.

Mitarai felt the other boy's arms wrapped around him, pulling him close before breaking the kiss and starting to remove their shorts.

He felt embarrassed, being naked in front of his best friend and two bosses, but tried to ignore it. This was obviously harder on Hagiri.

He was kissed again, almost hurried this time, but did his best to respond. He felt something wet on his face and opened his eyes, confused. Hagiri pulled away, taking preparatory materials from the bedside table.

Mitarai suddenly felt his heart start to beat faster. This was it… his first time was going to be with his best friend? His thoughts scattered as preparation began. Another kiss, slower this time, to distract him from what was going on. And he was fine with that. It lasted longer than the others, until they needed air; when Hagiri pulled away, apology was in his eyes again. Mitarai smiled slightly to let him know it was okay, even though they both knew it wasn't.

Throughout it all, Hagiri kept their gazes locked, occasionally leaning down to kiss Mitarai again. It wasn't as painful as he had thought it would be, but he wished they didn't have to do this in front of bosses. This looked really emotional for Hagiri- more than just fear was in his eyes.

Suddenly, Hagiri stopped and shook himself a little. Mitarai frowned, confused, and was about to ask him what was wrong when he saw his friend's face was calm. Hagiri gave a small smile, moved forward a little, and his eyes fluttered closed.

It took a few seconds for Mitarai to register that they were done. Hagiri quickly recovered himself and moved away.

The two boys glanced at Sensui, both still breathing hard, Mitarai wondering why he hadn't felt anything. The man looked pleased.

"You did well," he said. "Only one thing. Mitarai didn't finish. Does that happen with your customers, Hagiri?"

The boy shook his head. "No, sir. But then, I'm not usually top."

Sensui smiled. "True. Get dressed and go back to your rooms. You are excused for the day."

Mitarai blinked, confused, but stayed quiet and quickly dressed. Hagiri did the same, and they left. They didn't look at each other.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, so it's not as long as I'd like, but I'm getting a tad stuck. Not quite sure where I'm going with this... but I'll hopefully figure that out soon. I have a few ideas, so I just need to organize things. I'm thinking that I'm just going to make this a HagirixMitarai.. 'cause that's what it looks like now..

Anyway, I hope you guys like this, and I'll try to figure things out ASAP. I do have other fics I wanna write, so I can't get too hung up. :P

* * *

The walk back from Sensui's room was quiet. Hagiri kept his gaze on the floor, while Mitarai tried to think of what to say. That experience had rattled them both- him, for having his first time, but… Hagiri had seemed to be more upset than had made sense. True, he was entitled to some; he _was_ forced to have sex with his best friend, but it was more than that. If that had been the only thing, it wouldn't still feel so awkward.

Finally, Mitarai sighed. "Hagiri… it's okay."

The older boy glanced at him, looking incredulous. "He just made us have sex, and you say it's okay?" He shook his head and looked back at the floor.

Mitarai thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to respond.

"Well… how come it's _not_ okay? We did it because he told us to. It's not like…" he paused, a flash of insight telling him not to finish that sentence. Hagiri stopped walking and looked back at him.

"Not like what?"

There was silence for a minute, then something dawned on Mitarai.

"That was really important to you. I don't think you wanted to do that, right?"

"Not like that. Not with them watching."

"But then, that means you still wanted to do it."

Hagiri's expression, which had slowly been softening, hardened. He turned away.

"You're kidding yourself. You're younger than me."

Mitarai slowly stepped up to him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I know you were upset. You wouldn't have acted that way just for show." He didn't know why he was pushing this. Maybe it was important for Hagiri that he did.

Their gazes met. Mitarai saw the mind behind those pink eyes racing, judging actions that hadn't been made yet, searching his face for motives.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Hagiri turned to completely face him, and touched his face gently. His hand moved down slowly until he cupped Mitarai's chin. Another moment of silence.

Then, all in a heartbeat, Hagiri moved forward, pressing their lips together forcefully. The kiss only lasted a handful of seconds before he pulled away, conflicting emotions in his eyes.

"Don't tempt me," he muttered, turning away. Mitarai frowned.

"Hagiri- if you loved me, why didn't you say anything?"

When the older boy looked back at him, his eyes looked almost angry.

"Are you _serious_? I've been giving you signs for _weeks_ now, and you haven't noticed _any?_"

Mitarai's eyes widened. "What?"

Hagiri looked annoyed. "Have you ever noticed how much I wanted us to be together during work? The way I act around you? You can be so oblivious sometimes." His eyes grew sad, and he looked away. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't talk to you like that."

Mitarai hesitated, then carefully moved closer to Hagiri and kissed him on the cheek. The older boy looked at him, eyes wide, looking almost vulnerable.

"I might like you," Mitarai said softly. "But I don't really know yet. Give me time, okay?"

Silence. Neither of them moved. Then Hagiri's expression calmed to his normal one and he nodded, smiling slightly.

"Of course. I'll see you later, Mitarai."

He turned and quickly headed down the hallway to his room. Mitarai went down to the dance floor to wait for Kuwabara. He had to tell him about what had happened.

...

They sat in silence, Kuwabara trying to understand what he had just been told.

"You can't stay here."

Mitarai frowned. "What? I can't just _leave_."

"Why not? If stuff like that is happening to you, you shouldn't stay here."

Mitarai felt confused. Did he _want_ to leave?

"Not without Hagiri and Amanuma."

The older boy sighed. "We've been over this. D'you really want to stay _here?_"

"We're taken care of here- and it's not like you can take us in. That wouldn't work."

"Why not? Me and my sister both got jobs- we could take care of you guys, and you or Hagiri could get a job if you wanted to help out."

Mitarai paused. He had to admit, that made sense… it could work… but could he get Hagiri to agree, or Amanuma?

Reluctantly, he nodded. "I'll ask them, and I'll tell you our answer tomorrow."

He just hoped it would be the right one.


	11. Chapter 11

So, this is the end. I don't feel like I did it very well, but I didn't know how to make it keep going and still write it well. And I do have a LOT more stories on my plate at the moment to focus on, so... I hope you guys liked this story. Don't know when I'll publish another one -here-.. I have an idea, but I want to work on one or two other things first that FFnet doesn't have categories for, so.. yeah.

I hope you guys like the end. Review if you wish.

* * *

"Hagiri? Amanuma? I need to ask you guys something important."

The two noticed the urgency in his tone and followed Mitarai to his room.

"I was talking with Kuwabara about what happened this morning," he started. "And he brought up the subject of us leaving here."

Hagiri's eyebrows rose, and Amanuma looked a little surprised.

"Why would we leave?" he asked. "It's nice here."

"I know, but…" you understand what Hagiri and I do, right?"

Amanuma nodded.

"Well, that isn't something people should really have to do. If we left, we'd be free of that."

He turned to Hagiri. "What do you think?"

The older boy stayed quiet for a moment, thinking. "I… honestly wouldn't mind not having to do this anymore," he started slowly. "But it feels weird to leave when we've been taken care of here for so long."

He sighed. "But, if you want to leave, I'll go with you."

Mitarai smiled. "Thank you, Hagiri."

A small smile and a hug was his response.

...

The next morning, when Kuwabara came, Mitarai told him what they had decided, and the other teen looked relieved.

"That's great," he said. "I was thinking that I'd have to persuade you guys. Anyway, you ready?"

Mitarai looked at his friends, who nodded. They didn't have anything to bring.

As they left the building, Mitarai felt his heart beat faster. Would someone stop them? No one was outside yet… he glanced at Hagiri, who only looked fractionally less nervous. Amanuma, however, was smiling in childish innocence.

Mitarai allowed himself a small smile at the thought that they had saved Amanuma before his innocence had been completely taken.

The walk wasn't too long, and once they entered the house, the group let out a sigh of relief.

"We made it," Hagiri remarked as if he'd been expecting the opposite.

Mitarai nodded. "Yeah, we did."

Kuwabara introduced the group to his sister, Shizuru, and then the three went upstairs to get settled.

-that night-

"…Hagiri?"

The older boy glanced over at Mitarai, who was lying on the floor next to him.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking about yesterday, and…" the blonde looked embarrassed. "I think I like you, too."

That wasn't what he had been expecting. Hagiri's eyes widened and a faint pink tinged his cheeks.

"Are you serious?"

Mitarai bit his lip and nodded, a blush on his face as well. Hagiri smiled and fingered the other boy's collar.

"Y'know, you can take this off," he said softly, changing the subject. "I took off mine."

Mitarai blinked. "Hagiri…?"

"Here, I'll take it off."

As he heard the last clink of the metal fade, Mitarai felt arms surround him and the other boy kissed him gently.

"Thank you," he murmured once they broke apart. "We're free now."

Hagiri nodded. "Free to do whatever we want. And I want to love you."

With that sentiment, talking ceased and they simply held each other until they fell asleep, smiles on both their faces.


End file.
